Social Siberia

Joakim: I guess what you call egde is a mix of me not being the greatest singer/instrumentalist in the world plus the fact that

I come from a punk rock background. Even if most of my stuff is far away from punk rock musically and kinda pop-oriented I try to mix the honesty and attitude from the punk scene with melody. Besides, it has given me access to a whole other world of melodies

that your average singer songwriter often hasn’t

D: AT what stage in your life did you realise you wanted to pursue music?

J: Kinda cliché but the first time I picked up a guitar I was hooked. I started pretty late (around 15) but attended to music-high school even though I had only played for 6 months or something.

I sucked ass and got in on my grades but was absolutely sure right away that’s what I wanted to do.

I started to sing even later, maybe 5-6 years ago and never really planned to do so either, I just had a bunch of songs I wanted to get out there but I started getting lots of great feedback on myspace (before it started to suck) and that’s when I started to take this seriously.

D: Being a solo artist, do you think that this is a good thing compared with being in a band?

J: Aboslutely, both has it’s cons and pros. But it’s great to have both so you never get sick of this.

Being solo plus being able to produce and have total control over the songs from start to finish is what I love most about Social Siberia.

D: How has working with the awsome guys at Panic & Action enabled you to develop your music further?

J: They gave me the oppurtunity to release my first record, which is something I’d never really expected to do with this bedroom project.

Being part of this great rooster has also enabled me to reach out to new fans that maybe wouldn’t listen to this kinda music normally.

D: In 2010, you released your fantastic debut album, Waterworks. What did you enjoy most about the whole experience?

J: To be honest I didn’t really enjoy the actual recording of it, I think I might have set to high expectation so everything was an uphill climb trying to make the best record in the world, which puts a lotta pressure on you. But it was a good experience for my, I realised that nothing is and shouldn’t be perfect when it comes to music and often demos has a rough edge to them that can’t and sometimes shouldn’t be recreated. All things you need to go through to get better and I will use the experiences to make the next record fucking great.

I still really enjoy most of the songs on Waterworks, some if them have been around for years and means alot to me.

D: What are some of the challenges you have had to face?

J: The biggest challange is the same thing most bands have to face, to balance every day life with music.

This doesn’t pay my rent and having to go to work 8hrs a day kills pretty much all the creativity.

It’s all hard work, and you got to use all the spare time you got but for some fools including me it’s more than a hobby, and I can’t quit

doing this.

D: How supportive have your community been?

J: Everyone still takes this seriously and believes in me.

I am my biggest critic, and my biggest fear is being an old washup not realising his best days are behind him, so as long as I believe in this I’ll keep going!

D: The music you create is not only brilliant but also unique. Which has been your favourite song to create?

J: My favourite song so far is “I learned to speak”, it’s so different to anything else I had done and I was really unsure whether I could use it or not, but I realise now that was a good sign.

It has a seriousness and maturity that’s different from the naive/juvenile approach most of my older songs had. Everything, from how it was written to

the finished results is different from anything else I had done at that point and I’m really proud of that one. I was in a really dark place when I wrote that and I think you actually can hear that

D: What has been the most memorable moment of your whole career in 2011?

J: I got to support Nikola Sarcevic a couple of dates here in Sweden, that was huge for me. Millencolin was a huge influence on me back in the days, and it’s

totally surreal to share stage with someone you’ve looked up to for so long.

D: Are there any plans to come and perform in the UK?

J: I’m currently all in on writing material for the next record, so don’t have any shows planned atm. But I sure hope so, as long as UK wants me I’ll be there!

D: Sweden has got so many amazing talented artists, how does it feel that now Social Siberia is part of that list?

J: I agree, and that’s one of the best things about Sweden. I really appreciate that you think I am apart of that!

Not something I have ever thought about, I’m just trying to be the best songwriter/artist possible!

D: With 2012 soon on its way, what can fans expect from Social Siberia in the New Year?

J: I have just started writing stuff for the next record, the things I’ve written so far is really organic with lots of folk and country vibes. I’m trying to take a step away from the digital thing and keep it as “analog” and real as possible. I have a feelng it’s gonna be a great year!